Darkest stuff in fiction

Started by Ganondorf, February 24, 2024, 06:49:45 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Ganondorf

As long as it's a fictional work, everything counts.

My choices:

- Berserk. Without question. However, ironically, it can also be oddly comforting in a way and has helped immensely with my depression and anxiety. In that sense the next one on my list could be considered even worse...

- The infamous deleted chapter "At Tikhon's" from Dostoyevsky's "Demons". Even on Dostoyevsky's standards that is some messed up shit.

-Lovecraft. What else can be expected from a writer with such nihilistic philosophy?

- Evangelion. However, like Berserk, its message is ultimately positive and life-affirming.

There are others of course but that's a start.

Jo498

The darkest is probably extremely violent stuff I would not want to read. I read two books by the guy who wrote "Trainspotting" (this one and "Filth" about a corrupt policeman) and they were quite disgusting, enough not to want any more of it.

While it's been a while I read Lovecraft (and I haven't read all of his) and he has some nice stories but I found that his stick gets old within a dozen of stories because it's often too similar. Oh dear, grandpa was a fishman, help, I am doomed to go to the fishmen under the sea, the madness, the madness!!!! (only correct in italics and with lots of exclamation marks!) 
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Bachtoven

This is one of if not the darkest serial killer novels I have ever read--and I've read a lot! One scene in particular left me numb and shaken.


DavidW


T. D.

#4
There's an effectively infinite amount of extremely dark fiction, really impossible to rank.

I'll briefly mention "sleeper" dark black comedies that seem hilarious on first reading, but on rereading prove to be incredibly bleak.
Good example is


It doesn't rank in absolute terms, but I read John Cheever's short story Torch Song in an anthology and found it so creepily dark that I had to donate the book because I didn't want it around the house any more.  :o

DavidW

I forgot one that I read recently that was incredibly dark:



Now I've heard that A Little Life is unrelentingly sad and depressing.  But I haven't sought it out.  I don't know if I need to wallow in misery for "entertainment" if you could call it that.

Ganondorf

From video games I would nominate Silent Hill 2. Depending on the ending you get it may bring solace or just bring anxiety and depression. Still extremely well done though.

Jo498

Fantasy:
Poul Anderson: The broken sword

realist fiction:
Graham Swift: Waterland
Agota Kristof: The Notebook
Kanae Minato: Confessions

(only seen the movie but if the book is as bleak)
Elfriede Jelinek: The piano Teacher
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

vers la flamme

Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille

Dry Brett Kavanaugh


DavidW

Quote from: Ganondorf on February 25, 2024, 10:03:51 AMFrom video games I would nominate Silent Hill 2. Depending on the ending you get it may bring solace or just bring anxiety and depression. Still extremely well done though.





Archaic Torso of Apollo

Quote from: T. D. on February 25, 2024, 08:45:02 AMI'll briefly mention "sleeper" dark black comedies that seem hilarious on first reading, but on rereading prove to be incredibly bleak.
Good example is

I'm curious why you find Confederacy so bleak. I found it reasonably funny (though not as hilarious as its fans say), and it got less interesting in those scenes where Ignatius Reilly wasn't present.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

Iota

I found Confederacy of Dunces bleak/depressing and only vaguely amusing I think but it's so long since I read it (30 years +). I seem to remember it was the unrelentingly negative view of humanity being aired without a strong enough comic/contrasting aspect to make it something more than that, that made it feel that way.

Iota

#13
Quote from: DavidW on February 25, 2024, 09:56:15 AMI forgot one that I read recently that was incredibly dark:



Now I've heard that A Little Life is unrelentingly sad and depressing.  But I haven't sought it out.  I don't know if I need to wallow in misery for "entertainment" if you could call it that.

Definitely a bleak story, but there is a sense of compassion and various humanising currents within it, as well as being beautifully written, and I found the bleakness came with a sense of purpose and even of hope.

T. D.

Quote from: Iota on February 25, 2024, 12:34:14 PMI found Confederacy of Dunces bleak/depressing and only vaguely amusing I think but it's so long since I read it (30 years +). I seem to remember it was the unrelentingly negative view of humanity being aired without a strong enough comic/contrasting aspect to make it something more than that, that made it feel that way.

I more or less agree with this. But for me the unrelenting bleakness didn't become clear until the third reading (I used to often reread books I enjoyed). Also a certain sense of hopelessness. I initially read it when quite young (early 20s).

pjme

#15
Quote from: Ganondorf on February 24, 2024, 06:49:45 AMAs long as it's a fictional work, everything counts.
Never heard of Berserk or Evangelion....
As a teenager I went through a horror-story period and loved Poe, Henry James, lord Dunsany, Arthur Machen, William Hope Hodgson (The house on the borderland!); belgian Jean Ray ....and Lovecraft / Cthulhu.
But "dark"...hardly.
Recently I was quite shocked by "The Croatian God Mars" (ca 1922) by Miroslav Krleza - 7 brillantly written stories that depict a.o. the gruesome horrors of WW1.
I remember, years ago, throwing away Juliette (or Justine?) by de Sade - "dark", surely, intriguing...yes, but nauseating and very very sick.


Ganondorf

Quote from: pjme on February 26, 2024, 06:02:31 AMNever heard of Berserk or Evangelion....

I assume you're not much into anime/manga?

pjme

Indeed, not attracted to it in any way.